Method of treating starch.



C. A. TYLER.

METHOD 0F TREATING STARCH.

APPucATloN FILED AuG.22. 1914.

Patented Oct. 26, 1915.

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CHARLES A. TYLER, 0F AUBURN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO NATIONAL CHEMICAL COMPANY, 0F SYRACUSE, NEW YURK, A CGRPOlR/ATON OlE NEW YORK.

METHUD 0F TREATNG STARCH.

Application filed August 22, 1914:.

T0 all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that l, CHARLES A. TYLER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Auburn, in the county of Cayuga, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Methods of Treating Starch, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

This `invention relates to an improved method of preparing laundrying starch in large quantities as used more particularly in public laundries and similar places where laundry work is carried on extensively.

Heretofore, it has been the general custom in most public laundries to use the hot starch after it has been cooked or boiled but under these conditions, it is necessary to keep the starch at a substantially uniform temperature in order to obtain uniform results as to color, gloss and pliability without too much stiffness. Aside from the difficulty of maintaining this uniform temperature, this method of starching is attended with other disadvantages such as rapid deterioration v and a consequent waste of the starch, difiiculty in cleansing the starch containers and excessive heat under which the operator is required to work particularly in warm weather when the laundry business is at its height.

The main object therefore of my invention is to provide a simple and economical as well as sanitary method of producing cold starch of uniform consistency capable of imparting a uniform color to the articles to which it is applied without liability of deterioration or excess waste.

Another Objectis to avoid the unsanitary conditions and other disadvantages attend-` ing the use of the hot starch in that it elimi 'nates the heat accompanyingthe use of hot starch and enables the starchcontainers to be more easily and thoroughly cleansed than would be the case in the use of the heated starch.

Another Objectis to render the operation of producing the cold starch substantially continuous and automatic.

A further object is to assure the production of cold starch of fine grain or uniform Specification of Letters Patent.

raitiiieu ott. ac, isla.

Serial No. ,535@,063

consistency without special attention on the part of the operator.

@ther objects and uses will be in the following descriptions.

In the drawings I have shown apparatus of this process in which- Figure l is a vertical sectional view of the combined cooker, agitator, and cooler. Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view, partly broken away, of the detached agitator and cooler. Fig. 3 is an enlarged inverted horizontal sectional View through the agitator and cooler taken on line 3-3, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 4 4, Fig. 1.

ln carrying out this process the raw starch is placed in a suitable tank or container 1- and surrounded by a steam jacket -2- to which steam is supplied from any available source through a pipe -3 for the purpose of heating and facilitating the cooking of the starch in the tank -1-, the latter being provided with an outlet 4- for drawing 0E the contents of the vat.-

'lhe invention, however, consists in introducing a heating -agent as steam directly into the starch in such manner as to break up the entire body into yfinely divided particles thereby e'ecting a uniform and rapid cooking of the starch during which operation a relatively small amount of raw starch may be added to that in the vat to bring the entire body to the desired consistency whereupon the supply of heating fluid may be shut 0H' and the body of the starch subjected to further agitation and cooling by means of a cooling agent as air under pressure. For this purpose a conical shell 5g is placed in an upright position centrally within the starch container --1- with its lower end supported on the bottom thereof by means of a hollow steam receiving chamber -6- whieh is connected to a steam supply pipe -7'- extending through the bottom of the container u1- and jacket -2-, said pipe being provided with a valve -8- for cutting o the supply of steam when necessary.

The chamber 6 constitutes a steam distributing head in close proximity to the lower open end of the conical shell -5 and provided in its upper end with aperbrought out tures 9 discharging directly' into said shell.

The upper smaller end ot' the shell lextends to a point in proximity to the top ol the starch container --land is open fior the passage ot steam therethrough which derstood that the lower end as well as themain body ot' the cone 5 is immersed in the starch in the vat -l-. y

It is'apparent from the foregoing description that as long as the valve -8- is open a continuous current of steam will pass into and through the cone 6M and starch which may be embraced within its eircm'nterence and that this current of steam will convey a part of the starch with it against the baille cone -10-- thus producing a continuous circulation ot' the starch through the cone and a thorough agitation of the starch in the vat for the purpose otl breaking up such starch into tine particles and cooking the same in one operation, the cooking heilig eil'ected by direct contact of the starch with the steam and also by contactolr the starch with the heated walls ol: the cone -5- and vat -l--. 'hile this cooking operation is in progress extra raw starch .may be added to that in the vat to be cooked by the same process until the entire body is brought to the desired consistency.

lVhen the cooking operation is completed and the starch brought to the desired consistency, the valve C closed to shut oil' the. supply of steam to the cone n5W and a similar valve in the pipe -Iu is also closed to shut oil' the supply of steam to the jacket Q whereupon the cooling agent as atmospheric air is introduced under pressure through the same cone to further agitato and break up the mass of starch. To this end the cone -5- is provided with a. centrally vertical tube -11- having its lower end secured to the head -Jw but is cut oill trom communie: tion with the distril'iating chamber in said head. the latter being provided with a plurality of. in this instance tour. radial pipes --1'- having their outer ends securt-d to the inner walls ot the conc near the lower end thcreot and their intermediate portions provided with apertures v---ll"'-- in their upper sides communi eating with the interior ot the main conc.

. The pipe. --i im extends through and sonic distance bevond the upper end' ot the cone mand forms a convenient support oi' the baille cone --ll-- which is held in place by lock mits -1fl-. The pipe -lland its brai'iches 12- serve to convey a cooling agent as atmospheric air under pressure into the interior ot' the cone -5- from the lower end thereof upwardly and for this purpose its upper end may be connected to any available source oi air supply under pressure and is provided with a valve -15- which is normally closed during the cooking operation and is only open when the steam valve Slis closed at the end of such operation to admit air through the pipe -11- and its branches -12- into the interior ot the conc whence it passes upwardly against the under side of the baille. cone -10- and is thereby deflected downwardly around the outside ot' the cone to agitate the starch and circulate it through the cone to further break it up" into tine particles' and to eil'ect rapid cooling thereof.

ln order that the starch may be agitated as much as possible the baille cone l0 is provided on its under side with a series of veins or wings -16- curved in the same direction from the center toward the periphery to impart to the current ot' steam or air together with the starch a whirling motion with its vortex at the apexes of the cones.

lVhen the entire body of starch is cooled uniformly to the desired temperature, the air valve l5- is closed thereby allowing the starch to assume a condition of rest ready tor present or future use.

hat I claim isz- 1. The herein described method ot' preparing laundrying starch consisting in cooking the raw starch to the desired consistency and then subjecting the cooked starch to the ac tion ot' a cooling` agent under pressure until the temperature ot' the entire body is reduced to a predetermined uniform degree.

L). The herein described method of preparing laundrying starch consisting in subjecting the raw starch to the action of a current o't` heating tluid ot suilicient velocity and temperature to agitate and cook the, starch and afterward sul'ijecting the cooked starch to the action ot' a cooling agent under pressure suiticient to further agitato the entire body of starch.

Il. The herein described method of preparing laundrying starch consisting in passing a current ot steam through a confined body ot' raw starch under suilicient pressure and teinj'ieraturc to agitato and cook the entire body and afterward subjecting the cooked starch to action of a current of relatively cool air under suilicient pressure to further agitate the entire body and cool the same to a lower predetermined teniperature.

l. The herein described method of preparing laundiwfing starch consisting in subjectingr a contiued body ot raw starch to the action ot steam in such manner as to break such body into tine particles and to cook the same, supplying extra raw starch to such body during the agitating und cooking operation und finallyintroducing nir under u relatively low temperature into the, cooked sturvh in such u manner :1s to further agitato und cool the sume.

5. T he. herein described method of preparing cold starch. consist-ing' in projecting Steam through they starch to agitato and cook the saune, then projecting a current of rela- 1o tively cool air under pressure through the ooolod starch to agitato und cool the` suino. In witness whereof I hure horeunto set my houd this 18th day of August 1h14.

CHARL 1S A. TYLER \Vitnesses:

E. A. Tlrlonrsox, VIOLA HowLANn. 

